Staying Grateful in the Midst of Chaos: Plant-based, Whole-food Diets

As we wrapped up our last healthy eating class in a series of 5, I focussed the opening meditation on gratitude. After learning about mysterious food labels, GMOs, the hazards of refined sugar, unnatural aspects of consuming milk from a different species and long-standing protein myths, it was time for all of us to breathe. Deep.

How can we stay grateful in a world that doesn’t always make sense? Moving to this small town only to find chemtrails lingering in the sky can be disheartening. Having the final decision on I-522 so close when you know people have been deliberately confused by millions of marketing dollars from major corporations is frustrating. Realizing people still consume milk and meat after learning about animal exploitation, environmental devastation and damage to our personal health saddens me.

The option, I realize, is not to stay in bed with my head under the sheets snuggled close to my faithful companion, the Mighty Boston Terrier. This option, if I let it go on too long, would only lower my vibration. The more sane option is to do my own personal work, take a walk on the shores of the beautiful Strait of Juan de Fuca, and then, keep going.

People either don’t know the facts or don’t see enough of the benefit of eating a sustainable, compassionate diet. I am grateful for the people who are inching their way toward a whole-food, plant-based diet. And I’m even more grateful for the people who dive right in one hundred percent. One person at the end of this class said, “I can do this. I can go Vegan!” That makes it all worthwhile. I know  there are obstacles and it’s easier for people to stay with the status quo. My heart goes out to them. I relate. I’m learning more every day the benefits of acceptance and letting go of judgment. But, with that said, acceptance doesn’t equal silence. 

We all have the option of putting our attention of what’s working instead of what’s not. By doing that, we raise our vibration. It’s been said that whatever we put our attention on grows. With health, wealth and relationships there’s always something to be grateful for. In our opening meditation we put our attention on our ability to walk up the steps to the beautiful view on the second floor of Nourish Sequim. We all had cars that brought us here. Our hearts beat automatically and we were all breathing in this miracle we call a body. What a gift to have eyes to see the river, trees, mountains and oceans that surround us in this northwest paradise.

The longer I work with healthy eating, I realize it’s much more than food. Yes, eating lower on the food chain raises our vibration and lowers our footprint on this earth of ours. It doesn’t stop with food though. The quality of our thoughts and what we feed our mind is equally important. What are you grateful for today? How can you deepen that feeling so much it radiates out from you and infects others in a positive way? I’m asking myself just that and would love to hear your comments.